Sprinkler head apparatus

ABSTRACT

A sprinkler head apparatus is provided having a casing adapted to be connected to a waterline in which the casing has a tube passing through the top thereof with a nozzle on the end exterior to the casing and a raceway attached to the other end of the tube inside the casing. The raceway is circular and has a ball therein and has a protrusion extending from the top in a manner so that the ball following the raceway will be raised by the centrifugal force and will collide with the protrusion. The ball is pushed by the water entering the water inlet in the side of the casing tangential to the raceway. The water thereafter passes through the tube and out the nozzle. The water pressure in the casing is also adapted to force the tube to slide through the opening in the casing until the raceway becomes level with the water inlet.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Mark Mealy Orange County, Fla. [2!] App]. No. 65,647 [22] Filed Aug. 20, 11970 [45] Patented Dec. 14, 19711 [73] Aaaignee Sennlnger irrigation, llnc.

Orlando, Fla.

[54] SPRINKLER HEAD APPARATUS 7 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

[52] 0.8. (It 239/206, 239/230, 239/24 I 415/90 [51 1 Int. Cl 00% 3/04 [50] Field 0! Search 239/203, 204, 206, 230, 240, 241 4l5/76, 90

[56] References cm UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,009,478 7/1935 Coles et al. 239/230 6/196! Reynolds... 3/ l 964 Reynolds ABSTRACT: A sprinkler head apparatus is provided having a casing adapted to be connected to a waterline in which the casing has a tube passing through the top thereof with a nozzle on the end exterior to the casing and a raceway attached to the other end of the tube inside the casing. The raceway is circular and has a ball therein and has a protrusion extending from the top in a manner so that the ball following the raceway will be raised by the centrifugal force and will collide with the protrusion. The ball is pushed by the water entering the water inlet in the side of the casing tangential to the raceway. The water thereafter passes through the tube and out the nozzle. The water pressure in the casing is also adapted to force the tube to slide through the opening in the casing until the raceway becomes level with the water inlet.

PATENTEU m1 4 sum 1 or g MARK HEALY W e/Wm I. @IPIIINKIUEII lillIE/kllh AFiPAlIiAT'IUfi EACIKGI IOIJND OF TI'IIE INVENTION The present invention relates to sprinkler heads and more particularly to intermittently rotatable fluid pressure-type sprinkler heads which may or may not be provided with a popup type nozzle.

In the past a great variety of sprinkier heads have been provided for sprinkling lawns, as well as for use in watering commercial acreages', such as groves.

One common type of prior art sprinkler head utilizes the water pressure to provide intermittent rotation of the sprinkler head in a step-bystep movement to water an area defined by a circle, and one of the more common types provides a mechanism which is usually spring loaded and recurrently impinged upon the water stream to rotate the sprinkler head in small steps.

The present sprinkler head relates more particularly to the type oI sprinkler heads for placement in the earth, and which may be of the popup type or not, but provides for rotation of the nozzle located in a tube extending from the casing. It has been suggested in prior devices to provide a unit having a housing with a popup sleeve, and a rotating tube inside the sieeve, and in which water enters from the bottom, rotates a ball around a hollow interior frustoconical surface flaring outwardly so that when the ball reaches the top of the conical suri'ace, it hits a protrusion, intermittently rotating the sprinkler nozzie member inside the sleeve. This mechanism can be seen, in US. Pat. Re. No. 25,942 by E. hl. Reynolds, of Dec. 14, IlhS. Another prior art rotating ball-type sprinkler head which bail contacts a member when rising inside a casing is illustrated in US. Pat. No. 3,127,] [0. In addition to these patents, there have also been prior art rotating balls of different types for use in sprinkler heads and it has been commonly suggested to use impellor-type rotating devices for sprinkler heads with or without popup mechanisms.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide an improved sprinkler head, preferably with a popup nozzie, and which advantageously has a raceway attached directly to the popup nozzle tube, with the ball in the raceway being adapted to rise from the centrifugal force of the ball running around the raceway which ball is driven by water being directed tangential to the raceway. Thus, a sprinkler head is provided which is simple, reliable and economical to manufactut-e.

Another advantage or! the present invention is a feature for flushing sand and other dirt and trash which may be trapped in the bore of the cap of the casing during the sliding of the nozzle tube to a raised position.

' SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to sprinkler heads, and especially, to sprinkler heads adapted for intermittent rotating motion produced by the force of the water entering the sprinkler head. A casing is provided adapted to be buried in the ground and having a threaded cap or top with an aperture in the center of the cap having a rotating nozzle tube passing thcrethrough. The nozzle tube has two end portions with a nozzle located at the upper end portion and a raceway with ball therein attached to the other end portion, and adapted to rotate with the tube. A water inlet is provided and connected to the casing so as to enter tangential to the raceway to drive the ball around the raceway, providing centrifugal force on the ball forcing the ball up an angled surface of the raceway for collision with a protrusion on the upper surface of the raceway, and rotating the nozzle tube intermittently along with the raceway. The water then passes through the nozzle tube and out the nozzle. The nozzle tube may have holes located in the center of the raceway or may have passages following through the bottom of the raceway into the bottom of the nozzle tube where the water can pass through to the nozzle, and the raceway has an upper and lower portion which may be connected at the center around the nozzle tube, but are opened around its center periphery to allow the water to be directed therein upon entering through the water inlet to the casing. The pressure of the water entering the casing will force the nozzle tube to rise in a popup sprinkler head until a seal located above the raceway makes: contact with the cap, at which point the water entering the casing will be level with the opened portion of the outer periphery of the raceway. The cap bore with the nozzle tube passing therethrough is advantageously provided with small protrusions located annularly around the bore reducing the friction from the nozzle tube sliding up and rotating it in the cap, and also providing means for flushing the sand or other trash that may have gotten into the cap opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be apparent from a study of the written description and the drawings in which:

FIG. I shows a sprinkler head in accordance with the present invention being buried in the ground with the cap portion showing;

FIG. 2 shows the embodiment of FIG. I with the earth removed from the side and with the popupnozzle being in a raised position;

FIG. 3 shows the top sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. I;

FIG. 4 shows a sectional view taken along line d-d of FIG.

FIG. 5 shows a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG.

FIG. s is the same as FIG. 5 except it illustrates a second embodiment; and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 7-7 of the FIG. 6 embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIG. I, a sprinkler head can be seen in accordance with the present invention buried in the earth II and having cap I2 protruding above the earth I]. Cap 112 may be threaded for attachment to a casing; I3 which may be seen through a portion of the removed earth. The cap M of a nozzle and nozzle tube as seen located in the center of the cap 12 and passes through a hole in the center of cap 12 as will be described in more detail in connection with FIG. 3.

FIGS. 2 and 3 more clearly illustrate sprinkler head It) buried in the earth II and having a casing I5 with a water pipe In connected to a water inlet I7 on casing I5. The casing I5 has a lower portion Id and an upper portion 20, the lower portion 118 having a bottom Zll and the upper end 20 being capped with a cap member I2, which cap member I2 has an opening 22 in the center thereof, which opening has annular placed protrusions 23 for allowing the nozzle tube It to more easily rise and fall and rotate within the cap I2. This notched circular opening also allows water to pass on the inside of the casing I12 through the cap around the edges of the tube 2d during the rising of the tube, advantageously flushing any sand or grit or other trash that may have been trapped in the bore along the edge of the tube 2d; thus, preventing a common disadvantage of prior art popup sprinklers system heads which get jammed from trash and have to be manually loosened or cleaned. The nozzle tube 24 has a nozzle cap I I on the upper end portion 25 of the tube 24, and a nozzle 26 for passing water from the inside of the tube for spraying the surrounding earth. The lower portion of the tube 24! remains in the casing I5 as will be described in more detail.

Turning now to FIGS. 4 and Ii, the operation of the rotating mechanism of the sprinkler is more clearly illustrated in which the sprinkler head Ml has a casing IE having a cap I2 with aperture 22 therein for a nozzle tube M to pass therethrough, which nozzle tube has a nozzle 26 on the end 25 and a mule tube 2%, and a cap M, which cap Id contacts the surface 27 on the cap 12 on the nozzle tube 24 in its lowered position. Cap 12 can be seen as having threads 28 for removable attachment to the remainder of casing 15. Casing 15 has a bottom 21 and a fluid inlet 17 having a water hose 16 attached thereto. Sprinkler l casing has an interior cavity 20 which is filled with water and pressurized from the water pipe 16 that drives the nozzle tube 24 into its raised position, or until a seal 31 makes contact with the surface 32 of the cap portion 12 of the sprinkler head. This seal 32 prevents additional water from escaping through the opening 22, once the noule tube 24 is fully raised to its popped up position. A Teflon washer or other solid lubricating surface 33 is connected below seal 31 and above a seal 34, and allows the tube 24 to rotate between the seals 31 and 34. A ball raceway is provided having an upper portion 35 and a lower portion 36. both attached to tube 24. The members 35 and 36 are circular shaped to provide an annular raceway 37 having an angled surface 38 flaring upward from the bottom of the lower member 36 and the upper member 35 has a single protrusion 40 extending down from and into the raceway and adapted for making contact with the ball 4]. Tube 24 is sealed along its bottom and has holes 42 therethrough from the raceway 37. When the tube 24 is in its fully extended position as illustrated in FIG. 4, the raceway which is fully opened between members 35 and 36 along its periphery 43 is located directly in the path of the inlet 17 for the entering water, which inlet 17 is located tangential to the circular raceway which is more clearly shown in FIG. 5, whereby the entering water at this point will drive the ball 41 in a circular motion around the raceway until the centrifugal force raises the ball along the flared surface 38 until it strikes the protrusion 40. This action will continue so as to provide an intermittent rotation of the tube 24 and nozzle 26, so that the nozzle 26 will water a circular area of the earth. The water pressure will force water through the openings 42 through the tube 24 out the nozzle 26 as has already been described.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, a second embodiment of the present invention is illustrated which is similar to the first embodiment and has a casing 15 with a ball 41 and a raceway 37 angled on its side 38 and a protrusion 40, the same as already provided, and also has a tangential water inlet 17 to drive the ball 41 as already described. However, in this embodiment, the upper member 35 of the raceway is the same as already described while a lower member 50 has angled sides 51 and is attached to tube 24. This embodiment does not have holes or apertures in the tube 24, but the lower member 50 of the raceway 37 has passageways along its interior passing along the longitudinal surface of the lower end of tube 24 around the bottom 53 of tube 24 and into the tube 24. This embodiment advantageously allows the bottom portion of the raceway 50 to be molded as a single unit of plastic or other moldable material and eliminates the need for drilling holes in the tube 24. It will, of course, be clear that components of the present sprinkler head can be of any material desired, but the preferred materials have been plastic such a acetal, or the like, for the casing 15 and raceway while the tube 24 is preferably made of metal, but may have a plastic cap 14. The ball 41 may preferably be stainless steel, as is commonly available commercially.

it should be clear at this point that a sprinkler head has been described in two embodiments, but it should be clear that a third embodiment could operate the same as FIG. 4 having the bottom 21 raised so that the tube 24 stayed in a raised position, a fixed rotatable position at all times, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. This invention is not to be construed as limited to the particular forms disclosed herein, since these are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.

lclaim:

l. A sprinkler head apparatus comprising in combination:

a. a casing;

b. a tubular means having two end portions, rotatably connected to and extending through said casing; I c. nozzle means in one end portion of said tubular means and located exterior to said casing; d. raceway means attached to said tubular means and located inside said casing and adapted to rotate with said tubular means;

e. ball means located in said raceway means and adapted to move in a circular direction around said raceway;

f. said raceway means having upper and lower sections defining a generally circular raceway having an open portion along the periphery of said raceway and said top portion having a protrusion extending into said raceway; and

g. water inlet means adapted for water to enter tangential to said raceway to drive said ball means through said raceway, whereby said ball means will be directed against said protrusion to intermittently rotate said raceway means and tubular means of said sprinkler head.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said raceway bottom portion has flared sides whereby the force of said ball means passing around said raceway means will be lifted to make contact with said protrusion.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 in which passageway allows water to pass from said raceway means into said tubular means to said nozzle means.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 in which said passageways are openings in said tubular means.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 in which said casing is filled with water and pressurized to actuate said tubular means to slide through said opening in said casing until said raceway is level with said water inlet means thereby lifting said nozzle means.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 in which said raceway means upper and lower portions are separately connected to said tubular means.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 in which said opening in said casing having said tubular means passing therethrough has protrusions for engaging said tubular means whereby water is allowed to flow between said casing and said tubular means during sliding of said tubular means in said casing openmg. 

1. A sprinkler head apparatus comprising in combination: a. a casing; b. a tubular means having two end portions, rotatably connected to and extending through said casing; c. nozzle means in one end portion of said tubular means and located exterior to said casing; d. raceway means attached to said tubular means and located inside said casing and adapted to rotate with said tubular means; e. ball means located in said raceway means and adapted to move in a circular direction around said raceway; f. said raceway means having upper and lower sections defining a generally circular raceway having an open portion along the periphery of said raceway and said top portion having a protrusion extending into said raceway; and g. water inlet means adapted for water to enter tangential to said raceway to drive said ball means through said raceway, whereby said ball means will be directed against said protrusion to intermittently rotate said raceway means and tubular means of said sprinkler head.
 2. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said raceway bottom portion has flared sides whereby the force of said ball means passing around said raceway means will be lifted to make contact with said protrusion.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 2 in which passageway allows water to pass from said raceway means into said tubular means to said nozzle means.
 4. The apparatus according to claim 3 in which said passageways are openings in said tubular means.
 5. The apparatus according to claim 4 in which said casing is filled with water and pressurized to actuate said tubular means to slide through said opening in said casing until said raceway is level with said water inlet means thereby lifting said nozzle means.
 6. The apparatus according to claim 5 in which said raceway means upper and lower portions are separately connected to said tubular means.
 7. The apparatus according to claim 6 in which said opening in said casing having said tubular means passing therethrough has protrusions for engaging said tubular means whereby water is allowed to flow between said casing and said tubular means during sliding of said tubular means in said casing opening. 